Concept
Ostanes
Overview
Ostanes (from Greek Ὀστάνης), also spelled Hostanes and Osthanes, is a legendary Persian magus and alchemist. It was the pen-name used by several pseudo-anonymous authors of Greek and Latin works from Hellenistic period onwards. Together with Pseudo-Zoroaster and Pseudo-Hystaspes, Ostanes belongs to the group of pseudepigraphical "Hellenistic Magians", that is, a long line of Greek and other Hellenistic writers who wrote under the name of famous "Magians". While Pseudo-Zoroaster was identified as the "inventor" of astrology, and Pseudo-Hystaspes was stereotyped as an apocalyptic prophet, Ostanes was imagined to be a master sorcerer.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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As he was going down towards the sea-coast to take measures against Greece, a Persian whose name was Epixyes, governor of the upper Phrygia, laid wait to kill him, having for that purpose provided a long time before a number of Pisidians, who were to set upon him when he should stop to rest at a city that is called Lion's-head. But Themistocles, sleeping in the middle of the day, saw the Mother of the gods appear to…
Plutarch, Plutarch
States what Ostanes is; the author is tied to Ostanes in the knowledge graph.
Lastly, to the Prognostiques of time to come; which are naturally, but Conjectures upon the Experience of time past; and supernaturall, divine Revelation; the same authors of the Religion of the Gentiles, partly upon pretended Experience, partly upon pretended Revelation, have added innumerable other superstitious wayes of Divination; and made men believe they should find their fortunes, sometimes in the ambiguous…
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
States what Ostanes is.
Not that his natural disposition changed so easily, nor that his real character was so very variable, but whenever he was sensible that by pursuing his own inclinations he might give offence to those with whom he had occasion to converse, he transformed himself into any shape and adopted any fashion, that he observed to be most agreeable to them. So that to have seen him at Lacedaemon, a man, judging by the outward…
Plutarch, The Boys' and Girls' Plutarch
The author is tied to Ostanes in the knowledge graph.
Related ideas
- Persian language
- Ancient Greek
- Iranian peoples
- Plato
- Pythagoras
- Plutarch
- Iranian languages
- Zoroaster
- Pliny the Elder
- Hellenistic period
- Xerxes I
- Alchemy
- Natural History (Pliny)
- Alexander the Great
- Diogenes Laertius
- Arabic
- Democritus
- Divination
- Empedocles
- Diodorus Siculus
- Vishtaspa
Place in the tradition
Part of Iranian philosophy.